Device for extinguishing cigarettes



Nov. 8, 1966 K. R. FARRELL! DEVICE FOR EXTINGUISHING CIGARETTES Filed Oct. '7, 1964 United States Patent M 3,283,765 DEVICE FOR EXTINGUISHING CIGARETTES Kai Ropche Farrelli, 5450 Russell Ave., Apt. 1, Hollywood, Calif. Filed Oct. 7, 1964, Ser. No. 402,141 6 Claims. (Cl. 131256) This invention relates to devices for extinguishing cigarettes and cigars.

The fire hazard involved in smoking cigarettes and sigars is a serious problem because each year lives are lost and heavy property damage is caused by fires started indoors by smoldering discarded cigarettes and cigars. Outdoors, the hazard rises primarily from motorists discarding cigarettes and cigars and the hazard is serious in dry areas, especially in dry mountainous areas of the Southwest.

Most automobiles are equipped with ash trays to reduce this fire hazard, but conventional ash trays merely serve as receptacles and a discarded cigarette or cigar may smolder for a prolonged period, the resultant fumes irritating the numerous membranes of the occupants of the automobile and distracting the driver. Too often a driver in attempting to terminate the slow combustion in an ash tray diverts his attention from the road to such extent as to invite a serious accident. He must avert his attention to keep from burning his fingers and to keep from dislodging the burning embers onto his clothing or onto the floor of the automobile.

The present invention meets this situation by using water to extinguish burning cigarettes and cigars. To carry out this concept, however, it is necessary to solve the problem of providing a suitable container for the water. An open container would soon become unsightly if used indoors and if used in an automobile would have the further disadvantage of too easily spilling the water.

This problem is solved by employing a resiliently deformable closed container, the only exit of which is a passage from the lower interior of the container to a port on the upper portion of the container. In the preferred practices of the invention the passage is a flexible tube that terminates in what may be termed an extinguishing cup located on the top of the resiliently deformable container.

With a body of water inside the container, manually deforming the container in a manner to reduce the volume of its interior results in displacement of a portion of the water upward through the flexible tube into the extinguishing cup. Permitting the container to resume its normal configuration results in the expansion of its volume with consequent withdrawal of the displaced water from the extinguishing cup back through the fiexible tube.

To extinguish a cigarette, the user merely presses the lighted end of the cigarette against the bottom of the extinguishing cup with suificient force to deform the container and thereby displace water into the cup. When the finger pressure against the extinguishing cup is removed, the container expands to return the displaced water from the extinguishing cup to the interior of the container. It is apparent that the cup has a dual function in that it serves not only as an extinguishing means, but also serves as means for manually deforming the closed container to provide the required water. The user need not turn his eyes to the extinguishing cup in carrying out this op eration because the extinguishing cup may be readily located by feel and because there is no possibility of groping fingers encountering live cigarettes.

A feature of the invention is that there is no possibility of water being spilled from the container. In fact, more often than not, if the container is turned completely upside down no liquid whatsoever will escape. Another 3,283,765 Patented Nov. 8, 1966 feature is that the device does not become conspicuously unsightly with use. In the first place, the extinguishing cup is relatively small and may be relatively deep to make its interior inconspicuous. In the second place, the device is self-cleaning in that the extinguishing operation is actually a flushing operation. In the third place when the container is released from deforming pressure it tends to withdraw discarded ashes out of sight into the interior of the container.

The device is easily cleaned and returned. to fresh state after a period of service. It is merely necessary to immerse the device upside down in water and then repeatedly squeeze the container to draw water into the container and alternately expel the water.

A further feature of the invention is that normally a substantial volume of air is confined in the closed container above the body of water. The confined air acts as a cushion to prevent abrupt .spurtin-g of the water in response to abrupt deformation of the resilient container. Thus if the container is deformed in an abrupt manner, a substantial portion of the applied energy is initially absorbed in compressing the confined air with the result that the water is displaced through the flexible tube less abruptly and at relatively low velocity.

With reference to use of the device in an automobile, a further feature of the invention is the concept of incorporating a permanent magnet into the construction of the deformable container to cause the container to adhere to ferrous surfaces by magnetic attraction. Since the device is a closed container it need. not be placed on a horizontal surface and it will function efficiently even when it is canted by magnetic adherence to an inclined support surface.

The features and advantages of the invention may be understood from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings, which are to be regarded as merely illustrative FIG. 1 is a plan view of a selected embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a transverse vertical section taken as indicated by the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing how the resilient deformable hollow ball of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be employed separate and apart from the base block;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of a second embodiment of the invention; and- FIG. 5 is a plan view of the second embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating a modification of the first embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a perforated baifie employed in the construction shown in FIG. 6.

In the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the resiliently deformable container is in the form of a hollow sphere or hollow ball 10 having a relatively thin wall 12 made of elastomeric material such as rubber or asuitable plastic. The uppermost portion of the hollow ball 10 is apertured to seat an extinguishing cup 14 which in this instance is of conical configuration.

The bottom of the extinguishing cup 14 communicates with a flexible plastic tube 15 which depends from the extinguishing cup into the lower region of the interior of the hollow ball, the tube terminating a short distance above the bottom of the ball. The joint between the extinguishing cup 14 and the thin wall 12 of the ball is seated by suitable sealant 16 which surrounds the cup.

It is apparent that the only communication between the interior of the hollow ball 10 and the atmosphere is through the flexible plastic tube 15 that communicates with the bottom of the extinguishing cup 14. Consequently'any outward displacement of the content of the container by contraction of the volume of the container must occur through the flexible plastic tube 15.

In this particular embodiment of the invention, the resiliently deformable hollow ball is seated in a base block 18 made of rigid plastic and this base block may be translucent or may be suitably decorated for ornamental effect. If desired the hollow ball may be permanently seated in the base block 18, but in this particular practice of the invention it is releasably held in its seated position by magnetic attraction and the base block itself is adapted to adhere to ferromagnetic material by magnetic attraction.

In the construction shown in FIG. 1, a permanent magnet 20 is bonded to the underside of the hollow ball 10 and the base block 18 is formed with a semi-s herical seat 22 to receive the ball and is further formed with a well 24 at the bottom of the seat to receive the permanent magnet 20. At the bottom of the well 24 a second permanent magnet 25 is permanently bonded to the block 18 adjacent the undersurface of the block. The permanent magnet 25 is opposite in polarity to the permanent magnet 20 so the two magnets may attract each other. Thus when the ball 10 rests in the seat 22 of the base block 18 it is effectively retained in its seated position by the mutual attraction of the two magnets 20 and 25 but may be manually withdrawn from the base block if desired.

When the hollow ball 10 is seated in the base block as shown in 'FIG. 2, the base block may be mounted on an object of ferromagnetic material and will magnetically adhere to the object by virtue of the permanent magnet 25. On the other hand, when the hollow ball 10 is withdrawn from the base block 18, it may be mounted on an object of ferromagnetic material and will magnetically cling to the object. Thus FIG. 3 shows the separate hollow ball 10 mounted on the surface of a ferromagnetic object 26 with the ball adhering to the ferromagnetic i'na-teria-l 'by virtue of the permanent magnet 20.

The first embodiment of the invention is prepared foruse by simply immersing the hollow ball 10 in a body of Water and then repeatedly squeezing the hollow ball 10 for a filling operation such as commonly employed for filling a syringe having a collapsible bulb. FIG. 2 shows the normal configuration of the collapsible ball 10 with a body of water 28 inside the ball and with a body of air 30 above the water.

To extinguish a lighted cigarette, the lighted end of the cigarette is inserted into the extinguishing cup 14 and finger pressure is applied to the cup to deform the hollow ball 10 in a manner to contract the volume of the interior of the ball. The finger pressure will ordinarily be exerted solely against the extinguishing cup 14 either indirectly by means of the cigarette itself or by finger pressure directly against the rim of the cup. It may be convenient, however, to exert finger pressure directly against the wall of the hollow ball 10 in the region immediately adjacent the cup.

The contraction of the volume of the interior of the hollow ball 10 results in resilient compression of the hollow body of air 30 and the consequent displacement of water from the body 28 upward through the flexible tube into the extinguishing cup with consequent extinguishing of the burning cigarette. The cigarette may then be dropped into a conventional ash tray.

When the deforming pressure is removed the hollow ball 10 resumes its normal configuration with consequent expansion of the volume of the interior of the ball. As a result the water that has been displaced into the extinguishing cup 14 is withdrawn or sucked back into the interior of the hollow ball. A substantial portion of the ashes deposited in the extinguishing cup by the cigarette will be washed into the interior of the container by the return flow of the water.

After a period of use it is a simple matter to clean the device effectively by simply immersing the device in a body of Water and then repeatedly squeezing the device for a flushing action. After the device is thoroughly cleaned in this manner it may be refilled with fresh water.

In the second embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the resiliently deformable container is in the form of a thin walled elastomeric body molded in the form of a turtle having a neck 42 and a head 44. Mounted on the top of the back of the turtle is an exterior extinguishing cup 45 and a flexible tube 46 extends from one side of the cup to the head 44 and through both the head 44 and the neck 42 to the bottom of the interior of the elastomeric body. The simulated shell 48 that forms the back of the turtle may be of relatively rigid material, While the remaining under portion 50 of the elastomeric body may be relatively soft and resilient for the desired bulb action.

The second embodiment of the invention operates in as same manner as the first embodiment. The user places the burning end of a lighted cigarette in the extinguishing cup 45 and presses downward to cause the relatively hard shell 48 to resiliently deform the lower portion 50 of the elastomeric body. The consequent contraction of the volume of the elastomeric body 46 acts on an upper air cushion 52 to cause a portion of a lower body of water 54 to be displaced upwardly through the flexible tube 46 into the extinguishing cup 45. When the deforming pressure is removed, the elastomeric body 40 returns to its normal configuration with consequent sucking of the Water from the extinguishing cup 45 back into the interior of the hollow body.

FIG. 6 shows a modified form of the first embodiment of the invention shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the construction being largely unchanged as indicated by the use of similar numerals for similar parts. The modification consists of the addition of a perforated baflle disk 55 which seats in the tapered extinguishing cup 14a and which is connected to the magnet 20a by a wire 56. The wire 56 is sufficiently short to distort the thin walled ball 12a, the effect being to decrease the vertical dimension of the ball and increase the transverse dimension. FIG. 6 also shows how a plastic ring 60 may be bonded to the lower portion of the thin walled ball 12a to provide a stable base for the ball.

One important advantage of the added structure is that the extinguishing cup 14a is stabilized by being pulled down, the thin wall of the ball 12a bracing the cup from all sides to tend to maintain the cup upright. Another advantage is that the deformation of the ball 12a forms an upper annular shoulder 58 which is convenient for the application of finger pressure thereto to cause water to rise into the extinguishing cup.

The baflle disk 55 may be of the construction shown in FIG. 7. The disk 55 is provided with a circular series of perforations 62 but the center of the disk is blank. When the thin walled ball is deformed to cause displacement of water the upward stream of water impinges on the blank central portion of the bathe 55 and then the displaced water rises through the perforations 62. Thus the filled disk 55 reduces the tendency of the water to spurt from the extinguishing cup in a high velocity jet when undue finger force is applied to deform the thin walled ball.

My description in specific detail of the selected embodiments of the invention will suggest various changes, substitutions and other departures from my invention within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a device for extinguishing a cigarette or the like, the combination of:

a resiliently deformable closed container having a wall of elastomeric material to contain a lower body of liquid and an upward body of air;

an extinguishing cup open to the atmosphere and mounted on the exterior of the container at the uppermost portion thereof;

a flexible tube extending laterally from the cup, downwardly and then into the lower portion of the interior of the container whereby inserting the lighted end of a cigarette into the cup and exerting finger pressure to deform the container displaces liquid from the body of liquid upward through the flexible tube to the cup to extinguish the cigarette.

2. In a device for extinguishing a cigarette or the like, the combination of:

a resiliently deformable closed container to hold a body of liquid;

an extinguishing cup on the exterior of an upper portion of the resiliently deformable container;

a passage means extending from a lower Portion of the interior of the resiliently deformable container to the extinguishing cup,

whereby deforming the container to contract its volume displaces a portion of the body of liquid through the passage means to the extinguishing cup and permitting the resiliently deformable container to return to its normal configuration withdraws the displaced liquid through the passage means into the container; and

elongated means extending through the interior of the deformable container and interconnecting the upper portion thereof to a bottom portion thereof to deform the container and means forming a prominent annular shoulder around the extinguishing cup.

3. A combination as set forth in claim 2 in which the elongated member connects the extinguishing cup to the bottom of the container to stabilize the extinguishing cup on said container.

4. A combination as set forth in claim 3 which includes a permanent magnet attached to the bottom of the container to hold the container on a ferromagnetic object by magnetic attraction; and

in which the lower end of the elongated member is connected to the permanent magnet.

5. In a device for extinguishing a cigarette or the like,

the combination of:

a resiliently deformable closed container to hold a body of liquid;

an extinguishing cup on the exterior of an upper portion of the resiliently deformable container;

a passage means extending from a lower portion of the interior of the resiliently deformable container to the extinguishing cup,

whereby deforming the container to contract its volume displaces a portion of the body of liquid through the passage means to the extinguishing cup and permitting the resiliently deformable container to return to its normal configuration withdraws the displaced liquid through the passage means into the container;

a perforated baflle member seated in the extinguishing cup transversely thereof, said baflle disk being apertured to permit the liquid to rise therethrough; and

elongated means extending downward from the baffle disk through the interior of the container and connected in tension to a portion of the container near the bottom thereof to distort the container permanently by shortening its vertical dimension and to stabilize the extinguishing cup on said container.

6. A combination as set forth in claim 5 in which the baffle member has an imperforate portion in alignment with said passage means to receive the impact of a liquid stream discharged therefrom.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,217,514 10/1940 Henry. 2,871,864 2/1959 Stair 131-256 3,013,688 12/1961 Luning. 3,191,608 6/1965 Licata 131-256 FOREIGN PATENTS 11,756 5/1896 Great Britain.

SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner. 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR EXTINGUISHING A CIGARETTE OR THE LIKE, THE COMBINATION OF: A RESILIENTLY DEFORMABLE CLOSED CONTAINER HAVING A WALL OF ELASTIC MATERIAL TO CONTAIN A LOWER BODY OF LIQUID AND AN UPWARD BODY OF AIR; AN EXTINGUISHING CUP OPEN TO THE ATMOSPHERE AND MOUNTED ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER AT THE UPPERMOST PORTION THEREOF; A FLEXIBLE TUBE EXTENDING LATERALLY FROM THE CUP, DOWNWARDLY AND THEN INTO THE LOWER PORTION OF THE INTERIOR OF THE CONTAINER WHEREBY INSERTING THE LIGHTED END OF A CIGARETTE INTO THE CUP AND EXERTING FINGER PRESSURE TO DEFORM THE CONTAINER DISPLACES LIQUID FROM THE BODY OF LIQUID UPWARD THROUGH THE FLEXIBLE TUBE TO THE CUP TO EXTINGUISH THE CIGARETTE. 